Novel NiWO 4 -ZnO-NRGO Ternary Nanocomposites with Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity

Abstract

A novel NiWO 4 -ZnO-NRGO ternary nanocomposite was efficiently synthesized via a facile, fast and easy microwave irradiation technique and its capability to photodegrade organic dye in aqueous solution was investigated. The products were characterized through X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), Raman spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) techniques. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated by estimating the extent of photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) under irradiation of visible light source, which showed 9 times enhancement for the ternary composites compared to that for pure NiWO 4 . The outcomes reveal that the novel NiWO 4 -ZnO-NRGO ternary nanocomposite could be a highly efficient visible light photocatalyst for the removal of environmental contaminants in wastewater. � 2018 Elsevier Ltd.